Winter Spokes Bike Ride To Livingston

A very cold day for the Spokes Ride. I am not sure if anyone will turn up as some of the road surfaces are quite icy, but it is mostly ridable. I hope to go to Livingston.

At the Usher Hall there are 7 of us. This time of year, the rides don't go far and we followed the canal path out of Edinburgh to Wester Hailes. We have to walk across the aqueduct anyway, so the few patches of ice aren't going to slow us down. then via Baberton Mains Farm to Heriot Watt University. The Long Dalmahoy Road did not offer its usual headwind, but a few icy patches, which all negotiated safely. Some are quite long, so it is a matter of selecting the correct rut in the ice to follow. At the high point, I stop to take Extra which shows the large tulip of Jupiter Artland (as well as several cars parked in front of it) We pause at Kirknewton to regroup and catch our breath. Then it's down to East Calder and Mid Calder, on to Main Street. At the end, there is a foot bridge over the A899 to access the Waverley Path to take us through Livingston to the Bellsquarry Path for lunch at Brucefield Farm.

We had one puncture just after lunch, which was quickly remedied by a spare inner tube, although cold fingers take longer to put the tyre back on to the wheel. We rejoin the Waverley Path and head east. The frost is still there. A bit dodgy on the footbridge to Main Street and Mid Calder. It is a reverse route through East Calder to Kirknewton, where we pause again. To avoid the icy Long Dalmahoy Road, we follow the B road up to the A70. We stop here, and I get my Blip of the Pentland Hills. From there, it's a short hop along the A road to Glenbrook Road, which isn't that icy, and in to Balerno, where we rejoin the A70, which we follow down in to Edinburgh. The ride ends at the Water of Leith Centre. A big relief no one fell off.

The whole ride can be seen at Relive here.